Jelqing is an exercise that some people believe can increase penis size. It involves stretching the skin to create small damages that are supposed to thicken as they heal and make the penis appear larger or thicker.
If you feel insecure about your penis size, you’re not the only one. It’s perfectly normal to wonder if you’re “big enough” or to wish you had more length and girth – many men do.
What exactly is jelqing?
This exercise involves pulling and massaging muscle tissue with your fingers or a specially designed jelqing device.
The idea behind it is the same as muscle building: Stretching the tissue creates micro-tears that thicken and expand during the healing process. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence that jelqing works this way – or at all.
Most of what you find on the Internet about manual stretching (without equipment) is anecdotal, that is, personal accounts from men who have tried it.
How to jelq?
Since jelqing is not currently a scientifically proven exercise, there is no official standardized procedure for doing it. However, most websites and internet forums dealing with the subject generally describe the exercise as follows:
- Warm up your penis with compresses or a warm bath to promote blood flow.
- Apply a lubricant to reduce friction.
- Using your thumb and index finger, make the OK sign and circle the base of your penis.
- Slowly pull away from your body until you reach the head of your penis, applying light and steady pressure.
- Once you reach the end of your penis, begin the motion again.
It is recommended to start with 5- to 10-minute sessions and then increase the frequency and duration.
Does jelqing work?
The short answer? Not really, but it might. As mentioned earlier, there is no scientific evidence that jelqing works this way.
Wet Jelqing
This variation of jelqing is most commonly practiced by men. In this exercise, lubricants are used. This makes the exercise less abrasive and reduces the risk of abrasion.
Dry-Jelqing
Compared to wet jelqing, no lubricant is used in dry jelqing. This variation proves to be more effective for some men as they are able to keep the blood in the penis better.
Lateral Jelqing
This technique is used to reduce the curvature of the penis. For this to work, jelqing involves moving against the curvature.
V-Jelqing
With this exercise you can emphasize the thickness of your penis. You grip your penis with your middle and index fingers, with the palm facing you. With these two fingers, a “V” is formed, hence the name.
Side effects and risks
A major disadvantage of jelqing is the risk of injury it poses. Here you can see the cross-section of the penis and what can go wrong if you damage its internal structures.
If you are too aggressive, tissue can tear or ligaments can be damaged. In the worst case, this type of damage can permanently affect your ability to get or stay hard. In some cases, a subsequent surgical procedure may be required.
Other possible side effects include:
- bruising on the penis
- Pain or soreness along the shaft
- skin irritation due to friction
- scar tissue due to excessive rubbing
- erectile dysfunction (ED)
What do others say?
If you’re still not sure if this exercise is for you and your penis, you can read this Reddit post from men who talk about their experiences with it.
One user, theSEXpro, comments that “Jelqing works, but you have to be careful not to do too much too soon. If you feel you are doing too much, you should take a break for a few days or even a week. As you get more experienced with it, you can move on to more intense exercises like clamps or pumps.
I gained about 1 inch in length and about 0.75 inches in girth in about 1.5 years. I exercised 3x a week and still do (although I have now replaced jelqing with pumping and clamps).”
Another user, VaginalKnives, commented, “I would not recommend jelqing. It is better to have a smaller and functional penis than a larger and permanently damaged one. It’s easy to overdo the stretching and not warm up and cool down properly.
A much better idea is to incorporate toys into your lovemaking. There are penis sleeves you can use to temporarily increase girth and length and create a new, stimulating texture.
A sex therapist can help you understand and appreciate your body if you are unhappy or insecure with your penis size. The people who matter don’t care how big your genitals are, as long as you are happy and healthy. If the first thing someone says to you isn’t “How big is your penis?” then size probably doesn’t matter to them either.”
Are there other penis enlargement techniques?
Here are some other ways – some with a little more research and success behind them – to make your penis longer, harder or more erect:
Penis Extender
What is a penis extender? A penis extender applies a traction method designed to make your penis bigger. But the vacuum method is better to use because it is gentler.
Penis pump
What is a penis pump? It consists of a plastic chamber into which the penis is inserted and a pump that is operated either by hand or battery. The suction increases blood flow to the penis, giving you a stronger erection.
This can help men with erectile dysfunction (ED) get an erection and you can temporarily enlarge your penis, which can improve your stamina in bed as well as your orgasms.
But in terms of what is most effective, then it would be best to get penis enlargement surgery. However, this is expensive. This surgery can cost up to €10,000!
How long should you continue this practice to get results?
Unfortunately, there is no exact time frame on how long you need to do the exercise to see results as it varies from person to person. However, there are some penis enlargement studies that show it takes more than 6 months.
Do you suffer from penis dysmorphia?
The penis is usually the part of the body that men are most dissatisfied with and would like to change. Through pornography and pop culture, many men have developed an unrealistic expectation that a big penis is better. But what you see in porn is not what it seems. Porn stars get injections or make their penis bigger in other ways.
This anxiety can vary from man to man, but for some men it gets completely out of control and reaches a point where it becomes an obsessive preoccupation that significantly affects their quality of life. This is referred to as “penis dysmorphic disorder” (PDD) – the irrational belief that your size is not satisfactory.
Body dysmorphic disorder (“BDD”) in general is associated with increased suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. In addition, body dysmorphic disorder is associated with repeated cosmetic treatments for the perceived flaw, often with disastrous consequences.
Conclusion
You can try jelqing, but don’t expect your penis to grow overnight.
There’s not much to back up the results of this exercise – and if you actually want to invest in increasing the size of your penis, there are much better options.